Little America doesn’t romanticize anyone’s struggles, nor does it place the U.S. on a pedestal. It portrays harsh realities in profound ways. Each episode ends with an update on how the lead character featured is faring in real life. It brings an added layer of awe to the stories that have just played out.
No two journeys are alike in the smart, nuanced eight-part drama, one of television’s best takes on modern migrant culture. ... The beauty of this production is that it never has to make that point with pro- or anti-immigration rhetoric, or with heavy-handed narratives that pit the huddled masses against a cruel, intolerant establishment. The stories breathe on their own.
At a moment when immigration has become such a polarizing political issue, "Little America" feels like a tonic, one intended to inspire and unabashedly celebrate people who chose to make America their home.
A heartwarming, engaging, and informative season — all by focusing on story first, rather than famous faces or bottom lines. ... It may not make the biggest splash in today’s crowded TV market, but Apple subscribers are finally getting the quality promised a few months ago.
There are eight half-hour episodes. Their scope is modest. The stories, which are sometimes delightful and sometimes tragic, are about relatively everyday lives. The show is beautiful.
For the most part, these vignettes are thoughtfully and pleasingly rendered here. But there is, at the same time, something too uniform about them, a predetermined style of grace, ... which tends to undermine the goal of authenticity. The stories have been hammered into the same shape so that they are broadly satisfying and mainly cheerful, leaving little room for surprise or outrage or any other emotion that might overly complicate the structure.